Build An 80/20 Aluminum Cockpit By Your Own Design

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Did you know you can order everything you need to build your own 80/20 cockpit in Sim-Lab.
For example, here are two cockpits in my own design:
The first one has a 40x120mm profile which is very sturdy.

40x120.png


In the red: position for corner connector brackets:

скоби за вертикалния профил 40х120.png

позиция на скобите отдолу 40х120.png


Here's how to install the pedals:

позиция на педалите.png


These are all the parts you need for the price of 441 Euros(this includes Wheel deck Bracket). I'm not sure if they send bolts, but if they don't send here are the ones you need:
Socket head bolt M8x16 DIN 912

цана за 40х120 кокпит.png


The second cockpit has a 40x80 profile which is not so sturdy but is cheaper:

40x80 cockpit.png


In the red: position for corner connector brackets:

място за вертикални скаби за 40х80.png

отдолу позиция на скобите при 40х80 кокпит.png


These are all the parts you need for the price of 363 Euros(this includes Wheel deck Bracket). I'm not sure if they send bolts, but if they don't send here are the ones you need:
Socket head bolt M8x16 DIN 912


цена за 40х80 кокпит.png


You can also order End cap – profile cover cap and Rubber feet set if you wish.
 
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Did you know you can order everything you need to build your own 80/20 cockpit in Sim-Lab.
For example, here are two cockpits I built in my own design:
The first one has a 40x120mm profile which is very sturdy.

View attachment 866749

In the red position for corner connector brackets:

View attachment 866740
View attachment 866741

Here's how to install the pedals:

View attachment 866751

These are all the parts you need for the price of 441 Euros(this includes Wheel deck Bracket). I'm not sure if they send bolts, but if they don't send here are the ones you need:
Socket head bolt M8x16 DIN 912

View attachment 866752

The second cockpit has a 40x80 profile which is not so sturdy but is cheaper:

View attachment 866763

In the red position for corner connector brackets:

View attachment 866764
View attachment 866765

These are all the parts you need for the price of 363 Euros(this includes Wheel deck Bracket). I'm not sure if they send bolts, but if they don't send here are the ones you need:
Socket head bolt M8x16 DIN 912


View attachment 866766

You can also order End cap – profile cover cap and Rubber feet set if you wish.

I am waiting for bf deals. If there is nothing for me i will build my own. I have made all ready 2 designs. There is also motedis, and a dealer or two here in Greece. From the local 8020 dealers i have for the profiles alone only 30€ shipping. From Sim lab the shipping cost is 85€. The problem is the locals do not have black profiles.
 
I have made all ready 2 designs.
If you do not mind, you and everyone else are welcome to share your designs here.:)
Because there are people who want to make their own cockpit but do not have the time or they are not experienced enough.
 
The custom brackets that simlab makes specifically for cockpits are well worth the cost and make more much better cockpits than using 80-20 profiles alone.
 
I purchased the P1-X from Sim-lab. Everything in a kit which for me was the best value. I don't see anything wrong with ordering piecemeal as the OP has done, basically you have most of the base of the P1-X. You just need to know what parts to order. I also ordered Sim-labs triple monitor mount. 80/20 is an incredible material for Sim rigs. Adding accessories is a real pleasure.
 

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This one is very similar looking to the GT1 Evo from Sim-Lab minus the pedal plate and wheel deck:



Here's another video that uses Frame Designer to come up with a design. Here's a link to download the Frame Designer app so you can design your own 8020 rig: https://www.framexpert.com/products/framedesigner/download/



Here's a link to a great bare bones 8020 build that I liked, but would have definitely changed a bit if I'd gone that route:

And finally, I would highly recommend checking out Barry's reviews and build videos on Sim Racing Garage on YouTube. Here's just one example of where he goes through how to build 8020 rigs step by step, but there are several more videos you can watch as well. Really helpful to get an idea of what it's going to be like to build these type of rigs if you're like me and never done it before;



I've had an Obutto Ozone cockpit for almost 10 years now, and recently ordered a GT1 Evo from Sim-Lab. The Obutto has been pretty good, and is still usable but the seat is pretty worn out now, and the wheel and pedal deck have always had some flex in them that is manageable, but very annoying. So after getting back into sim racing after a long time off, I fiddled around with various 8020 cockpit designs and thought about ordering the parts from 8020.net's eBay store and TNutz.com here in the U.S. but every decent design I could come up with was going to cost more than simply ordering a GT1 Evo from Sim-Lab, so I decided to go that route. The bare-bones rig I linked above is okay, but I would have wanted to add things like higher quality t-nuts and a better wheel and pedal deck design which would have wound up costing quite a bit more than what that guy spent on parts.

There is a slightly cheaper alternative to buy a pre-designed 8020 rig here in the U.S. and it's from 4Play Racing. They have a eBay store here: https://www.ebay.com/sch/4playracingusa/m.html?item=333402672038&hash=item4da0590ba6:g:dusAAOSw9C5cYbns&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

Their cheapest rig is the "Competition Lite" platform in gray and it comes out to about $475 shipped after taxes. If you live in the U.S. the benefit of 4Play is that the shipping is obviously quite a bit quicker than waiting on Sim-Labs. I ordered my GT1 Evo on Oct. 31 and just got a shipping confirmation yesterday (although UPS doesn't have it in possession yet. Hopefully it will start moving in the next day or two.) I don't mind the extra wait and knew that going in when I ordered from Sim-Lab.

The problem with these 4Play rigs, for me at least, is that they use a lot of single, machined-tapped end connections, with a single bolt connecting the tubing, instead of corner brackets with multiple bolts to connect the 8020 profiles. I'm not an 8020 expert but it seems to me that these type of connections can't be as rigid as the type of gusseted corner bracket connections that Sim-Lab use. I could be wrong though. That's the main reason I didn't go with 4Play's competition lite rig. My first priority was that whatever I built or ordered would be 100% rock solid with no flex or movement, and that's why I chose Sim-Lab. I was able to get a GT1 Evo in black for $560 shipped and was happy with that. You can get a gray GT1 Evo for about $500 shipped. So if you are thinking about ordering a pre-made 8020 rig here in the U.S. you can go with 4Play racing which is slightly cheaper and quicker shipping, or you can go the Sim-Lab route if you don't mind waiting a few weeks to get the rig. Or, you can use something like Frame Designer to come up with a design and source the parts from places like TNutz or 8020.net

TNutz is definitely cheaper than 8020.net and I would recommend ordering everything you can from them. The only thing I would order from 8020.net is some of the black 8020 they have on their eBay garage sale page as TNutz doesn't carry the larger 40/80 and 40/120 black extrusions right now. If you want to buy accessories like cup holders, cable management clips, casters and other accessories, don't buy them from Sim Lab or 8020.net
get them from TNutz because they are much cheaper. Here is a link to TNutz accessories page: https://www.tnutz.com/product-category/accessories/

In the past couple of months I've watched dozens of videos and fiddled around with various designs and possible 8020 rig builds, and these are the best options here in the U.S. that I was able to come up with.
 
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